BEREA, Ohio — The Browns face off in the third division rivalry game in four weeks on Sunday, this time taking on the Baltimore Ravens at home. After being limited at practice in the week leading up to the game with a shoulder injury, quarterback Deshaun Watson is listed as questionable to play.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he's "hopeful" that Watson will be good to go, but said their backups are ready just in case.
Watson has been taking it easy on his throwing shoulder after taking a hard hit in the third quarter of the Titans game. Watson appeared to take the hit to his throwing shoulder on a keeper as he rushed toward the end zone. He picked up a first down on the play and the next attempt scored on a rush from Jerome Ford.
After the hit, Watson continued playing, not missing a snap that Sunday. But on their return to practice on Wednesday, Watson was not a full participant, taking mental reps behind quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. On Thursday, Watson's work remained minimal.
On Friday, the light work continued.
Leading into Friday, the Browns remained confident that Watson would be able to play on Sunday, with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt noting Thursday they'd continue monitoring him to see how he felt.
"See how he feels when we get out there, but we’re confident he’ll be able to go Sunday. We’ll see how he’s feeling today when we get out," Van Pelt said.
But by Friday, some uncertainty remained, and Watson landed on the injury report, questionable for the game against the Ravens.
Still, there's confidence within the team that Watson will be able to go for the game—and dedication to play strong without him even if he can't.
"Knowing him, he's a baller, he's fought through a lot of things. We think he'll play but if he doesn't, we'll just have to up our intensity just one more notch," said defensive end Myles Garrett.
If Watson can't play, Thompson-Robinson will take on the role of starting quarterback. Another possibility the Browns are prepared for and confident in.
"I'm extremely confident, extremely ready for Sunday if my name is called, which I am every week and really every day, ever since I first got here. I've been taking all the reps behind the scenes. So I've been trying to prepare Deshaun as much as possible and if I do get my opportunity, it'll for sure pay off," Thompson-Robinson said.
Although everyone is pulling for Watson to play, Thompson-Robinson's high school and current teammate Cedric Tillman shared the confidence that the young quarterback has in himself.
"I'm confident. Obviously, you want the team captain, team leader Deshaun—one of the best QBs in the game—to be out there competing with us. But obviously have all the trust in the world in Dorian."
A silver lining is that the Browns have an early bye next week, giving Watson time to rest and recover following the Ravens game, whether he plays or not.
